World Alzheimer’s Month

World Alzheimer’s Month

Did you know yesterday (September 21st) was World Alzheimer’s Day and September is World Alzheimer’s Month? Alzheimer’s disease is growing with 2 out of 3 people diagnosed with dementia have Alzheimer’s Disease.

Everyone with dementia / Alzheimer’s will experience it in their own way but as the disease progresses everyone with require full time care and support.

Dementia is NOT a part of normal aging

Prevention is the best way to ensure that you are keeping your brain healthy. Scientists agree that degeneration begins as early as 20 years before any of the above warning signs present themselves so how you live today is of benefit.

Healthy brain habits include:

Diet – what you eat plays such an important role in all disease prevention. “You are what you eat”, ensure that you have a good diet, limit sugar, alcohol, smoking and other brain toxic substances found in food such as heavy metals, moulds, preservative and pesticides1

Exercise – Although at present there are no studies that can specifically prove that exercise can reduce risk there is evidence that physical activity throughout the life-course is associated with better cognitive function and studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise has improved those with mild congitive impairment (MCI)2

Natural Treatment Supplements for Brain Health

Fish Oil, omega 3 DHA has been shown to be protective to brain cells 3

Gingko Biloba, a herb that has been proven to improve circulation and enhance memory function4

Cacao – cacao flavonoids are able to increase cerebral blood flow in healthy young subjects. Increased blood flow to gray matter has been shown to account for angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) as well as neuronal growth in the brain areas involved in memory processing5

CoQ10 – Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, is a natural antioxidant and protects the cell from oxidative stress. CoQ10 has been shown to reduce plaque buildup in areas in the brain involved in memory6

Come and see us today if you are wanting more information and a tailor made plan to invest in your future health.
Your Naturopath
Denise